RIGHTLY GUIDED CALIPHS HZRAT ALI R.

A SIR SYED REHAN AHMED

Caliphate of Hazrat Ali

Life before becoming a caliph and his character

• According to traditions, Hazrat Ali was born in Makkah in the 28th Year of the Elephant.
• His Father was Abu Talib bin Abdul Muttalib who was custodian of the Ka’aba.
• Mother was Fatima bint Asad.
• Hazrat Ali is descended from Hashim, thus Hazrat Ali’s line is known as the Hashimites.
• Hazrat Ali was a first cousin of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), his Kunya was Abu Turab.
• At a very early age, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) took him into his care.
• Hazrat Ali often accompanied Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) on trade trips to Syria.
• Hazrat Ali learnt reading and writing when he was still a boy.
• At 10 years of age, Hazrat Ali became the 2nd person to accept Islam
• Hazrat Ali slept on Holy Prophet (PBUH)’s bed in the night of migration and left for Madina after returning the trusts
to the owners which were entrusted by the Makkans to the Holy Prophet (PBUH).
• Used to memorize revelations that Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) received and maintained a written record of what he
heard from Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
• Hazrat Ali learnt the Holy Quran by heart.
• Hazrat Ali was one of the Asharah Mubasharah.
• In Madina, when brotherhood was being established between the Ansar and the Muhajirin, Prophet Muhammad
(PBUH) declared Hazrat Ali to be his brother.
• Hazrat Ali married Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)’s youngest and most beloved daughter, Hazrat
Fatima R.A.
• Won titles of Asadullah (Lion of Allah) and Haider-e-Karrar (Unmatched Warrior)
• Was a very learned person; his knowledge extended over mathematics, physics, and astronomy.
• He was a great orator and poet.
• Hazrat Ali’s source of live hood was agriculture.
• Hazrat Ali participated with the Holy Prophet (PBUH) in all battles except Tabuk.
• Hazrat Ali was about 22 years when he participated in the battle of Badr and killed the first disbeliever Walid.
• Hazrat Ali’s own elder brother Aqeel, became a prisoner at the hand of Muslims in the battle of Badr.
• The treaty of Hudaibiya was written by Hazrat Ali.
• He killed two very brave disbelievers Amr bin Abd-ul- Wudd in the battle of Ditch and Marhab at the time of Qamus
fort’s counter in the battle of Khyber.
• Hazrat Ali was sent by the Holy Prophet (PBUH) to preach Islam to Madhhij tribe.
• He was sent to destroy the idol Falas of Tai tribe.
• Hazrat Ali washed Holy Prophet (PBUH)’s body and entered the grave before laying it there.
• For the two offspring of Hazrat Ali (Hazrat Hasan and Hazrat Hussain) the Holy Prophet (PBUH) said: “Both the
young men are the Chiefs of Paradise.”
• Five hundred and eighty six Ahadith have been narrated by Hazrat Ali.

Main attributes of his personality

• Boldness, courage and chivalry, patience, perseverance and his capacity to forgive even when able to take revenge,
generosity, kindness and compassion to all people; his humility despite his high status; his nobility, grace and fear of the
Lord, and his unwavering commitment to the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and to the cause of Islam. Hadith: “If I am the city
of knowledge, Ali is its gate.”

Election as Caliph
• After Hazrat Usman’s assassination, rebels felt it necessary to choose a caliph before leaving Madina.
• Rebels asked various people to ascend to the office of caliphate:
(I) Hazrat Ali, Hazrat Talha and Hazrat Zubair refused to be elected as caliphs.
(II) The Ansar declined, saying that in the presence of Hazrat Ali, no one else deserved to be caliph.
• The rebels promised some severe action unless a caliph was chosen within the next 24 hours.
• The people of Madina gathered in the Masjid-e-Nabwi to hold council.
• The leader of the Egyptian rebels declared that the next caliph should be pious, brave, learned and should have been
close to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Only Hazrat Ali perfectly fitted these criteria and was persuaded into becoming
 RIGHTLY GUIDED CALIPHS HZRAT ALI R.A SIR SYED REHAN AHMED

the 4th Caliph. Hazrat Talha, Hazrat Zubair and others took Bayt at his hands.

Change of governors:
• Hazrat Ali felt that a change of provincial governors was in the interest of the state.
• Hazrat Ali’s advisors and friends warned him against taking such a strong step before establishing his caliphate.
• They especially warned him against deposing Hazrat Ameer Muawiya, Governor of Syria, as Hazrat Umar, not Hazrat
Usman, had appointed him.
• Hazrat Ali acted against their advice.
• Appointments made by Hazrat Ali:

Name Province
Usman bin Hanif Basra
Saad bin Ubaydah Egypt
Abdullah bin Abbas Yemen
Ummara bin Shahab Kufa
Suhail bin Hanif Syria

• Basra, Egypt and Yemen came under control

• Ummara bin Shahab could not take control of his office and had to return to Madina.
• A Syrian army met Suhail bin Hanif and told him that they did not accept Hazrat Ali as Caliph.

Battle of Camel (Jamal)

• Even after the rebels had left for home and Hazrat Ali had become caliph, peace had not returned to Madina.
• Umayyas had become quite powerful in Syria and raised a cry of revenge for the blood of Hazrat Usman.
• Hazrat Usman’s bloodied shirt and the fingers of his wife that were stuck to it was shown in the mosque at Damascus.
• People in Makkah and Madina also demanded that the murderers of Hazrat Usman be punished.
• Keeping the political situation in view and that the assassination was not the work of just a few people, Hazrat Ali
declined to do anything until peace had been restored in the empire.
• Hazrat Talha and Hazrat Zubair were unhappy with Hazrat Ali’s inaction.
• They contacted Hazrat Ayesha, who herself was deeply grieved at Hazrat Usman’s murder.
• Hazrat Talha and Hazrat Zubair raised an army and persuaded Hazrat Ayesha to accompany them.
• Hazrat Ali’s son, Hazrat Hassan, also managed to raise an army of 10,000 from Kufa.
• The two armies met at Basra.
• Hazrat Ali assured Hazrat Ayesha that he could not yet execute the murderers because of lack of evidence and that he
really wanted to punish the guilty.
• As both parties did not want bloodshed, negotiations were started and warfare was suspended.
• Mischief-makers from both armies were alarmed as peace meant their own doom. They raided forces on each side and
thus started a general battle.
• Hazrat Talha and Hazrat Zubair left the battlefield, but were caught and murdered by the unfaithful mischief-makers.
• In this battle, Hazrat Ayesha mounted a camel and battle ensued around it.
• When her camel was wounded and Hazrat Ayesha was brought down unhurt, the fighting stopped.
• Hazrat Ali treated Hazrat Ayesha with respect and honor and sent her back to Madina, escorted by her brother,
Muhammad bin Abu Bakr.
• Hazrat Ayesha retired to a quiet life and never took part in politics again.
• In this battle, thousands of men from each side were killed.
• As a result of this battle, Hazrat Ali’s Caliphate came to be acknowledged in every province except for Syria.

Battle of Siffin
• Hazrat Muawiya had refused to leave his post as governor of Syria.
• Under his influence, no one in Syria had taken the oath of allegiance to the new caliph.
• Hazrat Muawiya started a campaign, seeking revenge for the blood of Hazrat Usman.
• He declared the election of Hazrat Ali to be illegal and said that it had been under the influence of the rebels that he had
become caliph.
• As a result, Syria, Iran and Iraq were won over by Hazrat Muawiya.
• Not wanting to shed Muslim blood, Hazrat Ali offered peace to Hazrat Muawiya and said that since the people who had
selected Hazrat Abu Bakr, Hazrat Umar and Hazrat Usman as caliph had also accepted him, Hazrat Muawiya and his
 RIGHTLY GUIDED CALIPHS HZRAT ALI R.A SIR SYED REHAN AHMED

followers must accept him as well.

• In return, Hazrat Muawiya demanded that Hazrat Ali hand over the assassins of Hazrat Usman first before negotiations.
• Since war became inevitable, the Caliph Hazrat Ali raised an army of 80-90,000.
• Hazrat Muawiya also marched with a large army.
• The two armies met at Siffin.
• They stood facing each other for months.
• When negotiations broke down, general fighting started.
• The main battle began on 8 Safar, 37 AH.
• On the fourth day, Hazrat Muawiya’s army was nearing defeat. He ordered his soldiers to tie the Quran on their lances
as a sign of a cease-fire.
• Hazrat Ali was forced to stop fighting.
• After the battle, Hazrat Abu Musa Ashari and Hazrat Amr bin Aas were chosen as arbiters, to decide the matter in
accordance with the Quran and Sunnah by the month of Ramadan.

Kharijites
• As a result of the Battle of Siffin, a new sect called the Kharijites was born.
• This term means ‘separatists’.
• On the way to Kufa, they insisted that Hazrat Ali should attack the Syrians.
• When Hazrat Ali replied that he could not break the agreement, 12,000 men separated from him.
• The separatists marched towards Harwara, where they formed a party and started their activities against the caliph.
• That is why they are called Kharijites.
• These people were involved in the murder of Hazrat Usman.
• They had allied themselves with Hazrat Ali in the Battle of Jamal.
• They said that they were the only true believers and had a right to kill unbelievers.
• They considered only Hazrat Abu Bakr and Hazrat Umar as true caliphs and regarded others as usurpers.

Arbitration
• Hazrat Abu Musa Ashari and Hazrat Amr bin Aas met at Dumat-ul-Jandal to discuss the
case of Hazrat Ali and Hazrat Muawiya.
• Hazrat Abu Musa wanted to depose both Hazrat Ali and Hazrat Muawiya and let the people choose their next caliph.
• Hazrat Amr wanted to depose Hazrat Ali alone.
• Hazrat Ali did not abide by the judgement as he felt that it was one-sided.

Battle of Nahrawan
• While Hazrat Ali was planning to attack Hazrat Muawiya, the Kharijites started creating problems.
• Hazrat Ali marched on them and a battle ensued at Nahrawan.
• Out of the 4,000 Kharijites, only a few dozen managed to escape.
• This was a hollow victory as it diverted Hazrat Ali’s attention from his campaign against Hazrat Muawiya.

Fall of Egypt
• After the victory at Nahrawan, Hazrat Ali wanted to attack Hazrat Muawiya. However, his troops deserted him.
• Taking advantage of this situation, Hazrat Muawiya ordered Amr bin Aas to attack Egypt.
• Egypt was re-conquered by Hazrat Amr bin Aas.
• After this, rebellion broke out in all provinces.
• Hazrat Ali was forced to sign a peace treaty with Hazrat Muawiya.
• It was decided that Hazrat Muawiya should rule over Syria and Egypt, while Hazrat Ali ruled over the rest.

Martyrdom of Hazrat Ali

• Alarmed by this new peace, the Kharijites plotted the murder of Hazrat Ali.
• In 40 AH, some of them assembled in Makkah, with the intention to murder Hazrat Ali, Hazrat Muawiya and Hazrat
Amr bin Aas simultaneously.
• On 18 Ramazan, 40 AH, while Hazrat Ali was leading the morning prayers, Ibn Muljim attacked him with a poisonous
sword.
• These wounds proved fatal and the caliph died on 21 Ramadan, naming no successor and leaving the choice to the
people.
• His blood was avenged by his son, Hazrat Imam Hassan, who killed Ibn Muljim.
• There are varying accounts as to where he is buried. The majority holds that he was buried at Najaf.
 RIGHTLY GUIDED CALIPHS HZRAT ALI R.A SIR SYED REHAN AHMED

Questions
Q 1: (a) ‘Ali’s caliphate was riddled with problems. Describe what these problems were. [10]
(b) Choose any one problem you have written about in Part (a) and say why you think it was
significant. [4]
(b) ‘ ‘Ali was the right ruler for the time’. Briefly discuss this statement. [4]

Q 2: (a) ‘Ali’s caliphate was riddled with problems. Describe what these problems were. [10]
(b) Choose any one problem you have written about in Part (a) and say why you think it was
significant. [4]

Q 3: (a) Which important battles were fought during the caliphate of ‘Ali? Write a descriptive
account of each. [10]
(b) ‘ ‘Ali was the right ruler for the time’. Briefly discuss this statement. [4]